You could say Dee Jay Charters knows a thing or two about adventure on the water – this summer marks their 25th year sailing through the famous St. John’s Narrows. Whales, bergs, birds – they’ve seen it all, and today I hopped aboard to experience their unique brand of tour for myself.

For a province known for its wooden boats, quirky ways, and its slower pace of life, Newfoundland and Labrador has been ahead of the rest of the world in a lot of respects. Throughout its history (and even prehistory), the province has been a trend-setter and taste-maker. Because of our 30 minute time zone, we get a lot of firsts: the first sunrise in North America, the first New Year’s party every year, and we even get to see blockbuster movies before everyone else (if only 30 minutes earlier). But these are not the only ways we are ahead of the game. Newfoundland and Labrador has had a front-row seat to history, watching the world change – and then watching the rest of the world catch up!

St. John's is a city perched on the edge of nature, surrounded by scenic beauty, dramatic coastlines and wildlife. I decided to grab my picnic blanket and basket and perch myself at some of our top destinations. Join me as I explore our colourful capital city:

"There are a million reasons to visit St. John’s – we want YOU to help us narrow it down to the TOP 5!"

We asked our locals to be ambassadors to the rest of the world! What are the very best reasons to visit our colourful city? Is it our food? The fresh ocean air? The people? Here within, five notable choices:

June in St. John's means icebergs! A sparkling spring parade of 10,000 year-old towering icebergs unfolds every year in a beautiful clutter of pristine white and azure blue. Here within, we give you some notable locations to spot these majestic giants.

As a former touring actor and comedian, I’ve spent my fair share of time in hotel rooms. And, don’t get me wrong, hotels are great places to stay – I mean, they clean your room every day. How can you not love that? But, sometimes you just want to experience something different. Something a little left of centre.

Spring is upon us and what better way to enjoy the warmer weather than exploring the hundreds of diverse hiking trails right here in St. John's! Let the fresh sea air rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit and maybe even spot a playful humpback or a sparkling parade of 10,000 year-old towering icebergs. Here within, some notable hikes in the capital.

Having our very own timezone certainly puts us in unique position - we're the first to see the sunrise (& sunset!) in North America! Here within, some notable, off the beaten track locations to get the best view.

I had the absolute pleasure of spending the day with Maurice Fitzgerald of Far East Photography Tours. It was the day after a major snowstorm, there was a fresh dusting of snow, and the city looked beautiful. A Far East Photography Tour will allow you to see St. John's and surrounding areas through the lens of your camera! A tour will take you to the must see historic sites and landmarks in and around the capital.